Vehicle-propelling device



E. A. KINCH VEHICLE PROPELLING DEVICE AMay 15, 1928.

Filed March 29, 1924 2 Sheets-Sheet --.Il llvlllfl .uhmm

waff@ May 15, 1928. 1,669,906

E. A. KlNcH VEHICLE PROPELLING DEVICE Filed March 29, 1924 2sheets-sheet 2 Patented May l5, 1928.

UNITED STATES EDWARD ALFRED XINCH, OF RATHDOWNEY, IRELAND. v

VEHIGLE-PROPELLING DEVICE.

Application filed 'March 29, 1924. Serial No. 702,849.

This invention relates to a vehicle propelling device as described inthe present specification and illustrated in the accompany ing drawingswhich form part of the same.

The invention consists essentially of the novel features pointed outbroadly and specifically in the claims for'novelty following adescription containing an explanation in detail of an acceptable form ofthe invention.

The objects of the invention are to provide means whereby a wintervehicle, such as a sleigh, can be mechanically propelled, and in thedrawings, Figure 1 is a longitudinal sectional view of the device.

Figure 2 is a plan view showing, for the sake of clearness, only oneshoecarrriage.

Figure 3 is a side elevation view of a shoe carriage.

Figure 4 is a top plan view of Figure 3.

Figure 5 is a fragmentary sectional plan view of the motive chainadjusting means.

Figure is a detail view ofthe spring ymechanism adjusting the positionof the rear end of the device with respect to the sleigh.

Figure 7 is an enlarged plan view of end of the rack section.

Like numerals of reference indicate corresponding parts in the variousfigures.

Referring to the figures, the device is hinged at the front to the sidemembers 2A of the sleigh and springingly supports the j rear of thesleigh while the device complete lies under the sleigh between itsrunners.

The frame consists of two parallel .side

. plates 1 secured in their spaced relation by four transverse members6. Adjacent to and parallel with the transverse members 6 are two othercross members 9 rigidly secured at their ends to the side plates 1 andcarrying the longitudinally and horizontally arranged rods 10. v

5 are longitudinal members live in number, carried at both ends by andextending between the members 6, and carrying the shoe carriages 7; thecentre member carries four sections whereas `the other four each carrytwo. vThe carriages 7 are vformed, to provide eight sets `of slidewaysor guideways adapted to mount the rollers 8 of the movable shoecarriage; theA track sections are symmetrically located with respect tothe centre length ofthe members 5 and rigidly secured in a horizontalposition. The

iframe pivots at the front end in bearings 2v secured to the runners 2^,and a suitable block 3^ slidable on each side platecarries a set screw 3bearing upon a casting 1^ secured to said plate; by means of the setscrews, the side plates and therefore the device complete, can be movedlongitudinally with respect to the sleigh. j

16 is a shaft journaled inthe bearings 2. rigidly carrying a centralsprocket wheel 50 and two equally-spaced sprocket wheels 15; thesprocket 50 is actuated from a suitable motor mounted on the sleigh.

13 are sprocket wheels of diameter equal to that of wheels 15 and inlongitudinal alignment therewith,` rigidly mounted upon shafts 12 whichare suitably journaled inl four of the members 5 and located centrallyof the length of said shafts. y

29 are sprocket wheels rigidly mounted upon the ends of the shafts 12.

The sprockets j 13 are rotated by vthe sprockets 15 through the chains14.

l Each shoe carriage consists of a horizontal bar 17 mounting two pairsof rollers 8 and carrying a plurality of spaced pivots or pins 18, ashoe 28, a mechanism controlling the position of said shoe, and meansfor` keeping the bar 17 in a horizontal position. The bar 17 carries atthe front end a box-shaped portion 20 and at therear end a similarlyshaped portion 21. The box 21 extends `downwardly to form a hingedbracket in which pivots the shoe 23. Journaled in each of boxes 2O and21 is an axle 30 mounting two rollers 8 which run in a track section 7also journaled in said boxes, and extending therebetween is a horizontalshaft 27 rigidly mounting at each end a gear 28 enclosed within each ofsaid boxes. Slidably mounted in suitablev slide bear ings 24 in each of'said boxes, adjacent to and (2o-acting with the gear 28, is a toothedrack 25 rigidly secured at the top to the sleeve 26 which slides uponone of the horizontal rods'10. It will be seen that as the gears 28 arerigidlymounted on the horizontal shaft 27, and as these gears engage theracks `25 which are rigidly carried by the sleeve 26-the motion of whichsleeve is constrained to a motion in a horizontal plane by thehorizontal rod 10-it follows that both ends .dof each rack section willraise and lower uniformly as the device is operated. n

1 35 is a lever pivotallysecured to each bar and piT/otally carrying atone end a link.

83 and at the other end a link 34. The link 34 pivots at the upper endin the block 84A which isrigidly secured tothe sleeve 26 and extendslaterally therefrom. The link 33 pivots at the lower end in a shortlever 38 pivoting in the shoe 23.

37 is a casting hinged to the shoe 23 and having a rubber pad (notshown) on the underside thereof; the casting is sized to t into adepressed `portion 37A formed in the underside of the shoe. 88A is ashort. link pivotally connected between one end of the lever 88 and theouter end of the casting 8T. As the shoe carriage moves up, the free endof the shoe will move up also. The bar 17 carries a plurality ofequally-spaced horizontal pivots or pins 18 projecting out therefromwhich carry at their outer ends the spacer 19; the pivots are spaced toengage the round notches in the periphery of the cog-wheel 29 as itrotates and actuates the vshoe carriage. The shoe carriages are sodisposed upon their respective tracks as to allow the shoesQStobebrought to hear upon the ground successively and at regular intervals.Since the motion of each of the shoe carriages dependsuponthe'engagement of its corresponding cog-wheel 29 with at least one ofpivots 18, it follows that the distance between parallel horizontalguideways in the section mustbe equal to the pitch diameter ofthecog-Wheel. Similarly, `the extreme longitudinal distance between thecentres of the guideways must be equal to the distance between the twoextreme pivots plus the pitch diameter of the cog-wheel; and similarly,the radius of each curved portion of the guideways must be equal to halfthe pitch diameter ofthe cog-wheel.

40 are brackets adapted to be secured to the rear portionof the sleigh,each pivotally carrying a toothed rack 41 sliding in a suitably formedbox'43 secured to the outside to the side plate 1. Adjacent to andco-acting with the racks 41, are wheels 44 rigidly mounted upon ahorizontal shaft 45 suitably journaled in the side plates 1.

48 is a helicalspring encircling the shaft secured at one end to thecollar47 which y1s rigidly mounted upon said shaft and secured at theother end to the worm gear 46 which is loosely mounted upon said shaft.

' 49. is a worm rigidly mounted upon the horizontal shaft 49A andengaging the worm gear 46; a suitable mechanism (not shown) is securedto the front end of the shaft 49A whereby 46 can be actuated to impartresiliency tothe spring 48.

shaft16 and the cog-whe'ls 15. The propuL Inioperation, the motor isoperated torotatevthe sprocket 50, therefore rotating the sionof thesprocket chains 14 causes the rotation of the sprockets 13.` vthereforerotating the shafts 12 and the four sprocket wheels 29. The tension yinthe sprocket chains 14 `and in the main chain driving the wheel 5() isadjusted by turning the set screws 3, which will cause the brackets 3^and therefore the device complete, to move relatively to the sleigh. Asthe wheels 29 rotate they force or propulse the shoe carriagesrearwardly and forwardly in an endless path` formed -by the traclnvaysin the track section 7, the rollers 8 riding in said trackways; as therollers rise and fall at the ends of the trackways the brackets 2l andtherefore the shoes 23 rise and fall therewith. ln other words. as thewheels 29 rotate, the pivot pins 18 in cach shoe carriage aresuccessively brought in engagement with said wheels: the pins 18 andtherefore the bar 17 mountingr these pins and also the shoe carriagecomplete are propelled in one direction and then in a reverse direction.alternately: for instance. referring to Figure l of the drawing, as thewheel Qflrotates in an anti-clockwise direction, the pins 18 more in aleft to right direction, successively e`ngaging the wheel until theextreme leftv piu has about reached the position of the extreme rightpin, after which tluslast pin begins to move upwardly and partly aroundthe wheel, and after leaving the wheel it travels' in a lefthanddirection. The shoe will then be brought to heal-upon the groundtending to raise the sleigh, and as it moves from front to rear, willurge the sleigh along. Each shoe will in turn engage they ground, urgingthe sleigh forwardly. For increasing the pressure of cach shoe upon theground, the shaft 49 is operated to wind the spring 45 lmtil theresiliency in the spring,r causes the. shaft 45 and the gears 44 torotate and lift the racks 41.

What I claim is:

1. In a vehicle propelling device, a frame pivotally secured to thefront end of said vehicle and springingly supporting the rear,

end thereof, endless trackways4 secured to said frame, carriages runningon saidtrackways, shoes hinged to said carriages and adapted to engagethe' ground, and means adapted for actuating said carriages.

2. In a vehicle propelling device, a frame pivotally secured under saidvehicle near the front. end thereof, endless trackways carried hy saidframe, carriages running `on said trackways, shoes pivotally secured tosaid carriages, means carriedby said frame connected to the rear end ofsaid vehicle and adapted to yieldingly urge the free end of saidframetoward the ground, and means adapted for actuating said carriages.

3. In a vehicle propelling device, a frame pivotally secured under saidvehicle near the front end thereof, endlesstrackways carried hysaidframe, carriages running on Said trackwaysshoes pivotally secured tosaid carriages, means adapted for actuating said carriages, a shaftjornaled in said frame,

IUD

and a worm loosely mounted upon said shaft, a spring encircling saidshaft and secured at both ends to said shaft and worm respectively,gears rigidly mounted upon said shaft at the ends thereof, rackspivotally secured to the rear end of said vehicle and co-acting withsaid gears,fand means adapted for twisting said spring.

4. In a vehicle propelling device, a hinged rectangular frame having aplurality of spaced horizontal members, endless trackways carried bysaid horizontal members, carriages running on said trackways, a shoepivotally mounted on each of said carriages, means adapted for adjustingthe horizontal position of the frame relative to said vehicle, meansadapted for actuating said earriages, and means carried by said frameconnected to the rear end of said vehicle and adapted to yieldingl urgethe free end of said frame toward t e Ground.

5. In a vehicle propelling device, a frame pivotally secured to saidvehicle, endless trackways carried by said frame and carriages runningon said trackways, means including sprocket wheels and chains carried bysaid frame and adapted to actuate said carriages, and means carried bysaid frame connected to the rear end of said vehieleand adapted toyieldingly urge the free end of said frame toward the ground.

6. In a vehicle propelling device, a frame secured to said vehicle,endless traclways carried by said frame and carriages running on saidtrackways, a shoe pivotally connected to each carriage, transverseshafts mounted in said frame adjacent to said trackways, sprocketsrigidly mounted upon said shafts and operatively co-acting with Saidcarriages, and means, including sprocket chains, adapted to rotate saidsprockets.

7. In a vehicle ropelling device, a frame secured to said veiiicle, apluralityeof sets of endless trackways carried by said frame, a carriagerunning in each of said set of trackways, a shoe secured to saidcarriage, a plurality of pins projecting out from said carriage,sprockets adfacent to each set of trackways engaging t e pins in saidcarriage, and means, including sprockets and chains, adapted to rotatesaid first-mentioned sprockets.

8. In a vehicle propellin device, a frame secured to said vehicle, a purality of sets of endless trackways carried by said frame, ahorizontally arranged bar mounting rollers running in each set oftrackways, a shoe pivotally carriedby said bar, pins carried by said barvand projecting out therefrom, a suitably driven sprocket engaging saidpins,

and means adapted to maintain each of said bars in a horizontal plane.

9. In a vehicle propelling device, a frame pivotally secured to thefront end of said vehicle and springingly supporting the rear endthereof, a plurality of sets of endless trackways carried by said rameacarriage running on each of said tra'ckways, a shoe hinged to saidcarriage, means for actuating said carriage, a longitudinal rod horizon`tally arranged above each of said sets of trackways, a sleeve sliding insaid rod, a

horizontal shaft journaled in said carriage and two gears rigidlymounted on said shaft, and a verticalrack rigidly secured to said sleeveat each end thereof and co-acting with each of said gears. f

EDWARD ALFRED KINCH.

